What did Mark Twain say about Hawaii?

Mark Twain’s opinions of Hawaii have become some of his many famous quotations. What did he say and when?

ANSWER

Mark Twain (1835-1910) loved Hawaii. He spent four months exploring the Hawaiian islands in 1866, as a reporter for the Sacramento Union newspaper. His 25 letters about the Sandwich Islands (as he called Hawaii) were most Americans’ first information about Hawaii, and were part of the beginning of Twain’s fame as a writer.

Twain called Hawaii “The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean.” Like me, he often thought about Hawaii when he was not there. That’s why my favorite Mark Twain quote about Hawaii is this one:

“No alien land in all the world has any deep strong charm for me but that one, no other land could so longingly and so beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and waking, through half a lifetime, as that one has done. Other things leave me, but it abides; other things change, but it remains the same. For me the balmy airs are always blowing, its summer seas flashing in the sun; the pulsing of its surfbeat is in my ear; I can see its garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like islands above the cloud wrack; I can feel the spirit of its wildland solitudes, I can hear the splash of its brooks; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers that perished twenty years ago.”

Categories

Maui Newsletter

Get a list of 125 ways to save money on Maui when you subscribe to our free monthly email Maui Newsletter. Get the latest Maui vacation news, reviews, and tips, by email once per month. Subscribe to Jon's email newsletter.

Contact Us

About Me

I am Jon and I love Maui. Writing about Maui has been my hobby for the past 30 years. This website is my effort to help you, whether a first-timer or repeat visitor, to have the best possible experience during your visit to Maui. The info here is based on my own research and experiences. I am not a travel agent and I don't sell anything, so my reports are unbiased. I have visited each of the hotels, condos, and sights, have eaten at all of the reviewed restaurants, and took almost all of the photos. I welcome your comments or questions at jon@mauihawaii.org.